Johnny Depp says he feels he is being boycotted by Hollywood as his latest film, Minamata, has yet to be released in the United States, calling his fall from Hollywood graces as an “absurdity of media mathematics.”
Discussing the film in a new interview with The Sunday Times, Depp discussed the “surreal five years” he has experienced during his fallout from the Hollywood community.
Depp stars in the movie as W Eugene Smith, an American photojournalist who helped expose the devastating impact of mercury poisoning on coastal communities in Japan in the 1970s.
In the wake of the actor losing a libel case against British tabloid The Sun, which referred to the actor as a “wife-beater” in an article about Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard, MGM reportedly shelved the release of the Andrew Levitas-directed project. Depp was also forced to exit Warner Bros.’ Fantastic Beasts franchise last year after he lost the case.
Depp said he “looked those people in the eyeballs and promised we would not be exploitative. That the film would be respectful. I believe that we’ve kept our end of the bargain, but those who came in later should also maintain theirs.”
The 58-year-old actor also addressed his standing in the film industry, saying, “Some films touch people and this affects those in Minamata and people who experience similar things. And for anything … for Hollywood’s boycott of me? One man, one actor in an unpleasant and messy situation, over the last number of years?”
Depp noted that he is “moving towards where I need to go to make all that … to bring things to light.”
The libel case was part of a series of problems for Depp. Still, he has supporters in the industry. The San Sebastian and Karlovy Vary Film Festivals recently doubled down on their decisions to honor the controversial star despite being criticized for the decisions. The San Sebastian film festival announced this week it would honor Depp with its Donostia Award, a lifetime achievement honor that recognizes “outstanding contributions to the film world.”
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic also said it would celebrate the Pirates of the Caribbean star and “recognize and pay tribute to the acclaimed actor’s extensive career and lasting legacy on the film industry globally.”
This article originally appeared in THR.com.
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